The present invention relates to a semiconductor package in which a light-emitting device and at least one photoactivated semiconductor device are included and optically coupled to each other. More particularly, the invention relates to a package for a photoactivated semiconductor device that includes a planar lead pattern which may comprise a severed portion of a lead frame, and to a method of manufacturing such package.
The use of a lead frame in the packaging of semiconductor devices is highly desirable. A lead frame comprises a strip of metallic lead material having repeated lead patterns along the length of the frame. Semiconductor devices may be mounted onto appropriate portions of a lead frame, and then encapsulated in a suitable manner. Thereupon, the individual lead pattern associated with a packaged semiconductor device or devices is severed from the remainder of the lead frame.
It would be desirable to provide a package for photoactivated semiconductor devices and an associated light-emitting device that incorporates a planar lead pattern, whereby the lead pattern can comprise a portion of a lead frame. Light emitted from the light-emitting device is transmitted to the photoactivated devices, by either direct or reflected radiation. It is preferable that the photoactivated devices receive light from the light-emitting device which is reflected a minimal number of times. This insures that the light received by the photoactivated devices is minimally attenuated to produce high turn-on sensitivity for the photoactivated device. A typical package for photoactivated semiconductor devices and a light-emitting device is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,251, of common assignee with the present invention. The present invention seeks to improve over the package of the foregoing patent by providing such features as more sensitive turn-on of photoactivated devices, and greater mass producibility.